Life of a Wolf
by ShewolfSOS
Summary: We take a look at Aniu's life before Balto.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One

The white pup shivered uncontrollably. Everything was blurry. She felt hot and cold at the same time. It was growing dark. The sun was slowly slipping behind White Mountian, and she was running out of time.

_Where can I go? What can I do? _She was frantic. She felt like she should lie down and die, yet, she knew something big was about to happen. Something Really Big. A shadow appeared in front of her. She whimpered, shaking. "Calm down, pup." The voice was deep yet comforting.

"Who are you?" Her own voice trembed, and she didn't like it. "What do you want?" she demanded.

"I am here to save you," the strange voice replied. "Where is my mother?" Her eyes filled with tears. "There was a loud bang, and suddenly, she was gone. Like that." She started to cry.

The shadow stepped closer. It pulled her in. She felt soft, grey fur. Through the darkness, she saw blue eyes staring down at her. "You're a wolf!" she gasped. "Just like...me."

"Yes." The strange wolf nodded. "Do you have a name?" he asked then. "My name is...it's Aniu." She'd managed to calm down by now. "Well, that's a very beautiful name." The wolf smiled. "Thank you," Aniu whispered.

"Let's go home," the wolf said, and picked her up by the scruff of her neck. Her feet dangled out just like a kitten's would. She felt surprisingly comfortable. "Sir, what is your name?" Aniu asked softly.

"I am Nook," he replied. "Nook," Aniu repeated to herself. She liked the sound of that. They made it to a nice, warm den. He placed her in a little nest. "Go to sleep, little one," he soothed. "What about Mam?" Aniu tilted her head to one side.

"Your mother is dead." Nook keep his voice firm. "Dead?" Aniu was frightened. "What does that mean?"  
"Our life ends at one time or another. Everyone dies. It's just a part of life. Your mother is in heaven now, with her husband." He hugged her.

"Oh." Her voice was hoarse. "Do not worry, Aniu. I will keep you safe," Nook promised. She smiled. "Alright," she agreed, and soon fell into a deep, dreamless sleep.

_Two years later..._

"Claw, Dark," Aniu barked. The two males jumped to attention. "Yes, ma'am?" the one named Claw asked. "We're going on a hunt. Who wants to take the lead?" Aniu's glare shifted to Dark. "Um. I will," he volunteered reluctantly. Claw was a jet black wolf with a scar on his left eye.

Aniu had no idea where that had come from. However, it had been rumored that he'd been in a vicious fight a few moons back. Back before Aniu was even born.

"Alright." The white wolf nodded her approval. She started to walk. "We're hunting on the other side of the Mountian," she began. "Not the other side of the Mountian!" Dark exclaimed.

"Why not?" Aniu demanded. "Because," Claw spoke up, "there are ghosts there." Both shuddered. Aniu chuckled. "Ghosts? There is no such thing as ghosts, Claw."  
"How can you be sure?" Dark shot back. "I just know," she said uncertianly. "Hmm." Claw narrowed his eyes but said nothing more.

As Aniu said, the traveled to the other side of the Mountian where food was avaliable. Food was scarce in Aniu's pack. "Shh," Aniu hissed suddenly.

Claw titled his head to one side. "What is it?" he wanted to know. Aniu sniffed. "I smell prey," she said firmly. They got into the right position.

Aniu spotted a caribou up ahead. With a loud grunt, she tackled it- but failed. Dark- the yellow, scrawny wolf- took the lead. He jumped on top of the caribou, pushing Aniu off of it. Aniu yelped in pain as she hit the ground.

Claw gasped. "Aniu, are you alright?" he asked, kneeling down beside the white wolf. "I don't know," Aniu moaned. "I- I think I snapped a bone in my side." The whole world went black.

Aniu went through several fever dreams. One was of her soaring through the clouds. Wow, it was so beautiful. It felt so very good. After that dream was her talking to her birth mother again. Then she woke up.

Everything was blurry. Her ears were blocked, too- she felt like she was under water. "She's come too," Dark whispered. "Are you okay?" Nook asked.

"I'm fine," she growled, standing. She blinked. Her vision had improved now. She was in her own cave, with her foster parent. Everything was fine.

She breathed a sigh of relief. "How is everyone?" Aniu asked. "What were you thinking?" Nook demanded. "You know you're too young to hunt! You could've been killed!" Aniu sunk to her knees. "I'm sorry, Nook," she whimpered. She felt like a pup, and she didn't like it.

Nook's eyes shone with sympathy. He nuzzled her. "I'm just glad you're okay," he said softly. She smiled and nuzzled him back. "Yes, I'm good now," she told him softly. "We'll get the food." Dark grunted and turned to Claw. "Come on," he snapped.

Claw followed him outside, and they were gone.

"Go back to sleep," Nook ordered. "You need your rest." Aniu shook her head. "I'm not tired," she persisted. "Go to bed, Aniu." His voice had rose an octive. She obeyed. Soon she was asleep once more.

When she awoke next, a pile of meat was lying in front of her. Smiling, she dove in. "I'm glad to see you're feeling better." Nook chuckled. "Yes," Aniu answered between chews, "I am. I think I'll make it now."

That night, the wolves gathered under the moon and howled. It was a tradition- they did this every full moon, and tonight, there was a full moon. Aniu walked up the ramp to the cliff. Up ahead was a brown wolf. His name was Edkai. He was so cute. Aniu had a crush on him.

She rushed up. "Hello," he greeted calmly. "Hey, big boy," she said, like they did in the movies. "Um. So." Edkai cleared his throat awkwardly. "Would you like to howl with me?" he offered.

Aniu blushed. "W-Why certianly!" she stammered, feeling embarrassed and excited all at the same time.

"Come on, then." Edkai smiled and led her to the top of the cliff. And so they howled.

They sounded so beautiful together; it was amazing. "Wow," Edkai said. "You're a really good howler." Aniu blushed again. "Thank you," she replied. "And you are too." Soon the wolves gathered around the fire. They told horror stories. Ones that didn't exist, Aniu always reminded herself. She refused to believe in ghosts. She never had, and she never would. However, Edkai claimed he'd seen one himself. Aniu scoffed. "What nonsense," she muttered. Edkai shot her a glare.

"Just because you're a skeptic doesn't mean everyone else has to be."

He had a point. Aniu leaned against the cave wall with a sigh and enjoyed the rest of the horror story.

Around four o'clock in the morning, Edkai and Aniu came walking down the trail to the woods. "Where are you taking me?" Aniu asked, curious. He only smiled. "You'll see," he told her. Aniu held her breath and let him take her further down the trail. Up ahead was a waterfall.

"Wow, Edkai," she breathed, "it's so beautiful."  
"I know." He nodded. "Just like you." They looked at each other. "I have something to ask you," Edkai announced. Aniu nodded. "Anything," she whispered.

"Would you be my mate?" Edkai asked. "Yes!" she cried, then slapped her paw over her snout. "Sorry," she giggled.

Both wolves burst into a fight of laughter. When they were done, Edkai rolled over onto his back and said, "We'll have the wedding done tomorrow." Aniu smiled. She couldn't wait for tomorrow to come, then!


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter One

The white pup shivered uncontrollably. Everything was blurry. She felt hot and cold at the same time. It was growing dark. The sun was slowly slipping behind White Mountian, and she was running out of time.

_Where can I go? What can I do? _She was frantic. She felt like she should lie down and die, yet, she knew something big was about to happen. Something Really Big. A shadow appeared in front of her. She whimpered, shaking. "Calm down, pup." The voice was deep yet comforting.

"Who are you?" Her own voice trembed, and she didn't like it. "What do you want?" she demanded.

"I am here to save you," the strange voice replied. "Where is my mother?" Her eyes filled with tears. "There was a loud bang, and suddenly, she was gone. Like that." She started to cry.

The shadow stepped closer. It pulled her in. She felt soft, grey fur. Through the darkness, she saw blue eyes staring down at her. "You're a wolf!" she gasped. "Just like...me."

"Yes." The strange wolf nodded. "Do you have a name?" he asked then. "My name is...it's Aniu." She'd managed to calm down by now. "Well, that's a very beautiful name." The wolf smiled. "Thank you," Aniu whispered.

"Let's go home," the wolf said, and picked her up by the scruff of her neck. Her feet dangled out just like a kitten's would. She felt surprisingly comfortable. "Sir, what is your name?" Aniu asked softly.

"I am Nook," he replied. "Nook," Aniu repeated to herself. She liked the sound of that. They made it to a nice, warm den. He placed her in a little nest. "Go to sleep, little one," he soothed. "What about Mam?" Aniu tilted her head to one side.

"Your mother is dead." Nook keep his voice firm. "Dead?" Aniu was frightened. "What does that mean?"  
"Our life ends at one time or another. Everyone dies. It's just a part of life. Your mother is in heaven now, with her husband." He hugged her.

"Oh." Her voice was hoarse. "Do not worry, Aniu. I will keep you safe," Nook promised. She smiled. "Alright," she agreed, and soon fell into a deep, dreamless sleep.

_Two years later..._

"Claw, Dark," Aniu barked. The two males jumped to attention. "Yes, ma'am?" the one named Claw asked. "We're going on a hunt. Who wants to take the lead?" Aniu's glare shifted to Dark. "Um. I will," he volunteered reluctantly. Claw was a jet black wolf with a scar on his left eye.

Aniu had no idea where that had come from. However, it had been rumored that he'd been in a vicious fight a few moons back. Back before Aniu was even born.

"Alright." The white wolf nodded her approval. She started to walk. "We're hunting on the other side of the Mountian," she began. "Not the other side of the Mountian!" Dark exclaimed.

"Why not?" Aniu demanded. "Because," Claw spoke up, "there are ghosts there." Both shuddered. Aniu chuckled. "Ghosts? There is no such thing as ghosts, Claw."  
"How can you be sure?" Dark shot back. "I just know," she said uncertianly. "Hmm." Claw narrowed his eyes but said nothing more.

As Aniu said, the traveled to the other side of the Mountian where food was avaliable. Food was scarce in Aniu's pack. "Shh," Aniu hissed suddenly.

Claw titled his head to one side. "What is it?" he wanted to know. Aniu sniffed. "I smell prey," she said firmly. They got into the right position.

Aniu spotted a caribou up ahead. With a loud grunt, she tackled it- but failed. Dark- the yellow, scrawny wolf- took the lead. He jumped on top of the caribou, pushing Aniu off of it. Aniu yelped in pain as she hit the ground.

Claw gasped. "Aniu, are you alright?" he asked, kneeling down beside the white wolf. "I don't know," Aniu moaned. "I- I think I snapped a bone in my side." The whole world went black.

Aniu went through several fever dreams. One was of her soaring through the clouds. Wow, it was so beautiful. It felt so very good. After that dream was her talking to her birth mother again. Then she woke up.

Everything was blurry. Her ears were blocked, too- she felt like she was under water. "She's come too," Dark whispered. "Are you okay?" Nook asked.

"I'm fine," she growled, standing. She blinked. Her vision had improved now. She was in her own cave, with her foster parent. Everything was fine.

She breathed a sigh of relief. "How is everyone?" Aniu asked. "What were you thinking?" Nook demanded. "You know you're too young to hunt! You could've been killed!" Aniu sunk to her knees. "I'm sorry, Nook," she whimpered. She felt like a pup, and she didn't like it.

Nook's eyes shone with sympathy. He nuzzled her. "I'm just glad you're okay," he said softly. She smiled and nuzzled him back. "Yes, I'm good now," she told him softly. "We'll get the food." Dark grunted and turned to Claw. "Come on," he snapped.

Claw followed him outside, and they were gone.

"Go back to sleep," Nook ordered. "You need your rest." Aniu shook her head. "I'm not tired," she persisted. "Go to bed, Aniu." His voice had rose an octive. She obeyed. Soon she was asleep once more.

When she awoke next, a pile of meat was lying in front of her. Smiling, she dove in. "I'm glad to see you're feeling better." Nook chuckled. "Yes," Aniu answered between chews, "I am. I think I'll make it now."

That night, the wolves gathered under the moon and howled. It was a tradition- they did this every full moon, and tonight, there was a full moon. Aniu walked up the ramp to the cliff. Up ahead was a brown wolf. His name was Edkai. He was so cute. Aniu had a crush on him.

She rushed up. "Hello," he greeted calmly. "Hey, big boy," she said, like they did in the movies. "Um. So." Edkai cleared his throat awkwardly. "Would you like to howl with me?" he offered.

Aniu blushed. "W-Why certianly!" she stammered, feeling embarrassed and excited all at the same time.

"Come on, then." Edkai smiled and led her to the top of the cliff. And so they howled.

They sounded so beautiful together; it was amazing. "Wow," Edkai said. "You're a really good howler." Aniu blushed again. "Thank you," she replied. "And you are too." Soon the wolves gathered around the fire. They told horror stories. Ones that didn't exist, Aniu always reminded herself. She refused to believe in ghosts. She never had, and she never would. However, Edkai claimed he'd seen one himself. Aniu scoffed. "What nonsense," she muttered. Edkai shot her a glare.

"Just because you're a skeptic doesn't mean everyone else has to be."

He had a point. Aniu leaned against the cave wall with a sigh and enjoyed the rest of the horror story.

Around four o'clock in the morning, Edkai and Aniu came walking down the trail to the woods. "Where are you taking me?" Aniu asked, curious. He only smiled. "You'll see," he told her. Aniu held her breath and let him take her further down the trail. Up ahead was a waterfall.

"Wow, Edkai," she breathed, "it's so beautiful."  
"I know." He nodded. "Just like you." They looked at each other. "I have something to ask you," Edkai announced. Aniu nodded. "Anything," she whispered.

"Would you be my mate?" Edkai asked. "Yes!" she cried, then slapped her paw over her snout. "Sorry," she giggled.

Both wolves burst into a fight of laughter. When they were done, Edkai rolled over onto his back and said, "We'll have the wedding done tomorrow." Aniu smiled. She couldn't wait for tomorrow to come, then!


End file.
